Binding - The Serpent and Lion
by Katalyna
Summary: AU. Little Ginny Weasley was excited to be going to Hogwarts, but she never anticipated being sorted into Slytherin. Lonely days, accompanied only by the Diary of T M Riddle, kept her company until she drained her soul. Now, Harry Potter has saved her... and the two of them face being bonded together in ways they never imagined.
1. Prologue

AN: I don't own Harry Potter or any of these characters. Thank you to Miz636 for the Beta!

* * *

Young Ginny Weasley looked around as she stood in the line for the sorting, trying to find her brothers, Hermoine and Harry. She could see the heads of the twins close as they plotted over something or another, and she could see Percy sitting perfectly at the edge of the Gryffindor table. Hermoine was sitting next to a chubby faced young man that she couldn't quite remember the name of, but she couldn't see Ron or Harry anywhere. Surely Ron wouldn't miss her sorting, would he? They had been the best of friends before he left for Hogwarts last year, and when he came back they were still close.

He had told her that she'd make it into Gryffindor no problems, and she was eager to show him that he was right.

She bounced from foot to foot while Professor McGonagall read off the names in front of her. She saw her friend Luna Lovegood get sorted into Ravenclaw and smiled. It was a good house for the dreamy girl, who often talked about things no one else knew. She was very intelligent and Ginny was happy for her friend.

"Ginevra Weasley!" Professor McGonagall called out. Ginny eagerly bounced up onto the stool and crammed the hat on her head, seeing the thumbs up the twins were giving her.

_Hrmm isn't this interesting. The first Weasley that I haven't been able to automatically place into Gryffindor in a long long time._

Ginny blinked in surprise. "What?"

_Oh yes, you're quite brave, and would be a great fit for the house of lions, but there's something more there. Something… different. There's a thirst to prove yourself, that's for sure. You're ambitious, and want to be known as something other than the first girl Weasley in generations. That thirst… I think, yes, it's the only house that will do. It better be…_

SLYTHERIN!

Ginny sat stock still on the stool for almost a full minute, as a hush descended amongst the hall. Very slowly, Professor Dumbledore began to clap, the staff and student body eventually following suit. A very stunned Ginny had the hat removed from her head as Professor McGonagall very gently pushed her towards the table bedecked in green and silver.

"You better go join your house now, Miss Weasley."

Ginny barely heard her. In just those few moments, the bright future she had imagined for herself at Hogwarts… friends with Ron, Hermoine and _Harry…_ playing pranks on the Slytherins, joining the house team… it all crumbled into dust.

* * *

**Dear Tom**

**I was sorted into Slytherin! I can't believe it, the first Weasley in generations to be sorted into a house other than Gryffindor! My whole family is Gryffindor! How can I ever face them now? What will my brothers say? What will Harry Potter say? The other girls keep giving me dirty looks, and I'm so scared. Draco Malfoy has already been by the room and made some comments and I don't know if I can make it through the night. I wonder if they will consider re-sorting?**

* * *

**Dear Tom,**

**They won't re-sort me, not even after Mum sent Professor Dumbledore a Howler. The Sorting is final, they say, and I'm stuck as a Slytherin. Ron won't even look at me… I tried to talk to him earlier and he called me an evil snake! Ron was my best friend, Tom, I don't understand it. The other girls in the house just ignore me, and I got lost trying to find the dungeons after classes today. Professor Snape even seems to be angry with me, asking me questions in class that I didn't know the answers to. You're the only friend I have Tom, and I'm scared.**

* * *

**Hi Tom,**

**I'm so glad that I have you to talk to. Classes are going ok, but I'm very tired lately. Ron still won't talk to me, although I heard Hermoine and Harry trying to convince him that just because I was put in Slytherin doesn't mean I'm evil. I tried to talk to Fred and George earlier but they were running off to Quidditch practice, and I can't ever seem to find Percy. None of my brothers seem to want me around anymore… Mum sent me a letter telling me that she still loves me but it was a very short letter. Draco Malfoy locked me into a small dungeon earlier today, and when I told Professor Snape he accused me of lying. I think I might take a nap, Tom… thank you for listening.**

* * *

**Hi Tom,**

**Halloween was ok, I don't remember much. I think someone splashed red paint on me while I was sleeping and tried to put feathers on me, but they didn't do a very good job. I woke up from a nap covered in red paint and feathers. I don't understand why they would do this to me! I'm so lonely Tom, no one speaks to me in classes or in the halls, and all I have is you.**

* * *

**Tom,**

**You'd never believe what happened! Something happened to Mrs Norris and she was PETRIFIED on Halloween. Someone wrote on the walls that the Chamber of Secrets had been opened, and Enemies of the Heir beware. I almost got a detention with Mr Filch because I looked at him funny! That's just not right, I didn't do anything to him or his manky old cat. I hate Hogwarts, Tom! It was supposed to be the best place ever, and now it's terrible, I'm a Slytherin, no one talks to me, my brothers hate me… I want to go home. I hate it here.**

* * *

**Tom,**

**Another petrification happened. This time it was a Gryffindor boy named Colin Creevey. Apparently he's a Muggle born, like Ron and Harry's friend Hermoine. She sometimes tries to smile at me in the halls but if Ron catches her he gives her a dirty look and elbows her. I just wish someone would talk to me. **

**Last night I had a very strange dream. I dreamt I was walking along the hallways hissing. How weird is that?**

* * *

**Hi Tom,**

**Professor Lockhart started a dueling club and I went to look at what was happening, even though I shouldn't have been there. No one pays attention to me anyways, so it's easy to sneak into places when people aren't paying attention. Harry spoke in snake language to a snake! The snake was going after a Hufflepuff boy named Justin and Harry hissed at it. The snake stopped and then Professor Snape caused it to disappear. Everyone thinks that Harry is the Heir of Slytherin now.**

**You're still my only friend Tom. I wish you were real.**

* * *

**Another petrifiction! Remember that boy I told you about, Tom? Oh, and hi, sorry. I'm just so nervous about what's happening! He was petrified! Everyone thinks it was Harry because of the snake incident. I don't know, Harry doesn't seem evil to me. But Tom, it's getting scary. This isn't what my first year was supposed to be like at all.**

**I wish you were real, so you could give me a hug and tell me it'd be ok. I know you say it'll all work out in the end but I still wish you were here. Maybe if I wish hard enough for Christmas you can be real. Just *poof* like that. Wouldn't that be nice?**

* * *

**Hi Tom**

**I'm having weird dreams again, wandering the halls and hissing. I found feathers in bed with me again this time. I can't believe they're trying to play that prank on me again. I hate it here. Hate hate hate it. I hate Slytherin House. I hate Gryffindor House. I hate my evil git of a brother Ron, and Fred and George because they ignore me, and Percy because he's a big prat, and Harry Potter because he ignores me and Hermoine Granger because she ignores me and I'm just really really tired of being ignored Tom. I HATE IT HERE.**

* * *

**I'm sorry Tom, please don't be mad at me, I don't know what possessed me to throw you away into Moaning Myrtle's toilet. Please forgive me Tom, I don't know why. I promise I'll never let you go again, and I'll write in you whenever I have a chance, you're my only friend Tom and I promise to never let you go ever again. Please forgive me Tom, you're all I have.**

* * *

Little Ginny Weasley felt the blackness slowly start to lift from her vision, and her eyes fluttered open. She noticed Harry Potter sitting nearby, a sword caked with blood in his hands, and a phoenix sitting on his shoulder. "Are you ok, Ginny?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"H…Harry?" She asked, rather painfully sitting up. Her whole body ached and pounded, and she felt extremely tired and drained.

"Hi." Harry leaned back on his haunches and stood carefully. He offered Ginny the hand that wasn't holding the sword and she took it.

A blinding white light enveloped the two. Fawkes trilled a hopeful song, before bursting into flames. He returned a moment later, Professor Dumbledore hanging onto his tail feathers. The white light remained wrapped around Harry and Ginny for a few moments longer, and deep within the Department of Mysteries, a book opened and the pages turned.

A quill magicked itself out of midair and quickly scribbled. "Soul Bond – Harry James Potter to Ginevera Molly Weasley".

* * *

_A month later…_

Ginny Weasley watched as the sun crested over the horizon, slowly spreading its light and warmth across the patchwork quilt that made up Ottery St Catchpole. She ran a hand through her limp red hair, her eyes dark with the circles of another sleepless night. Her nightmares had become worse and worse, until she finally had given up sleeping all together. Her mother had tried every trick in the book, up to and including taking her to St Mungo's for mind healer therapy but nothing was working. In fact, Ginny had only gotten much worse after the visit to St Mungo's.

The nightmares wouldn't have been so bad if she didn't have Tom Riddle's whispers in her head during the day, as well.

"Ginny?" Her mother's concerned voice came out through the kitchen.

"Here, mum." She murmured, her voice scratchy. She had hardly spoken to anyone around the Burrow since her rescue from the chamber and subsequent trip home.

"More nightmares?" Molly Weasley asked, a bit unnecessarily. Ginny nodded slightly and closed her eyes, sighing.

"I'm so tired, mum." She whispered, a tear trickling down her cheeks. The stoop where she was sitting creaked, and her mother sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her daughter's painfully thin frame. Between the nightmares and the daytime, Ginny was wasting away.

"We'll find the answer Ginny. I promise you."

* * *

Harry Potter sat in his bedroom, his once thin frame almost emaciated. Dark circles surrounded his eyes, and he too was suffering from nightmares. He too, it seemed, could hear the whispers of Tom Riddle in his head, neverending. What little food the Dursleys allowed him to have was often times vomited back up. Still, he persisted in attempting to keep his aunt and uncle happy, doing the housework and chores forced upon him until he would collapse. And now, with Aunt Marge coming to the house later today, Harry knew that he'd have little chance for what respite he did get.

Harry closed his eyes, his breath coming in short gasps. He knew he was sick, and he could feel the blackness of unconsciousness swimming around. He just didn't know what the cure was, or how to fix it.

Many miles away, in the headmaster's office of Hogwarts, the alarm tracking Harry's lifeforce began to sound shrilly, forcing its lone occupant out of his seat. Another alarm, the one tracking the wards around the Dursley residence on Privet Drive, began to wail as well. The wards were collapsing, and Harry was dying.

Professor Dumbledore didn't know why.

* * *

"Ginny can you go get some eggs from the chickens?" Molly Weasley asked her youngest. Ginny nodded and forced herself up from her sitting position on the back stoop of the Burrow. Once standing, she began to sway, blackness reaching out for her.

The loud thump of a body hitting the wooden stoop alerted Molly to something being terribly, dreadfully wrong. She screamed in horror at the very shallow breaths her daughter was taking, having passed out on the stoop. The breaths were laboured and harsh, and slowing down.

"GINNY!" Molly screamed. She didn't even register the many pairs of feet running to her as she scrambled to get to her daughter.

* * *

"Professor Dumbledore! Are you here? There's a gentleman from the Department of Mysteries that needs to speak with you urgently. Professor?"

Professor McGonagall looked inside the headmaster study, noticing the disarray of the objects around the room. It appeared that Dumbledore had left suddenly, the hearth in his office burning brightly. The Unspeakable that had followed Professor McGonagall up to the office looked around in wonder at the portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses, momentarily forgetting what he was here to so eagerly speak to the headmaster about.

"He's not here. Can you leave a message with me?" Professor McGonagall asked, turning to the Unspeakable. She wanted to get him out of the castle as soon as possible in order to send a message to Professor Dumbledore. No doubt he would need assistance. She palmed her wand and a few moments later, a non verbal confundus charm hit the Unspeakable.

"Oh, yes, of course Professor McGonagall." The Unspeakable reached into his robes and rather bemusedly brought out a sealed parchment. "For the headmaster's eyes only, top secret stuff."

"Of course. I'll see that he gets it immediately upon his return." Professor McGonagall took the parchment and placed it on the headmaster's desk, and began to usher the Unspeakable out. The moment the door closed to the headmaster's study, Dumbledore's phoenix patronus appeared. "Call Poppy. Harry Potter very ill. Bringing back to Hogwarts."

Startled, Professor McGonagall reached for the floo powder to floo Madame Pomfrey. The flames turned green just as she prepared to throw the powder in, and the disembodied head of Arthur Weasley appeared. "Minerva! We have a problem, Ginny's very sick. Molly doesn't want to take her to St Mungo's, she's afraid of what will happen if she does." Professor McGonagall nodded, thinking back to the events during the summer.

"Bring her through." She instructed, before casting her own feline patronus. "Tell Madame Pomfrey about Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley coming to the hospital wing. We'll need two beds as soon as possible."

The cat disappeared to deliver its message, and Professor McGonagall eyed the sealed parchment speculatively. Something very strange was happening, and somehow she had the feeling that Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were at the very centre of it.

Professor Dumbledore stared at the two young children, pale as death, laying in separate beds before him. Their breathing had gotten stronger upon arrival at Hogwarts, but they still looked like they were at Death's Door. He barely looked up as Professor McGonagall walked into the hospital wing, a sealed parchment in her hands.

"While you were getting Harry, this was delivered by an Unspeakable for you." She murmured, placing the parchment in his hands. He nodded tiredly, and broke the seal.

He merely glanced at the letter, until the words "Soul Bond – Harry James Potter to Ginevra Molly Weasley" jumped out at him. Frowning, he looked up first at Professor McGonagall, and then at the two sleeping children. He thought back to the Chamber of Secrets, and how when he had arrived it had seemed like a blinding white light had surrounded the two children.

This soul bond… this changed everything.

Standing up, he cast a non verbal spell pushing the two beds closer together, so that the children were almost touching. Their colour improved slightly and Dumbledore sighed. Such a burden to be placed on young children, especially one such as Harry.

"Minerva, could you please call Arthur and Molly Weasley? We will need to speak to them." With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore gently levitated Ginny Weasley into the same bed as Harry Potter. They grasped one another, their breathing and colouring improving to normal instantly. Satisfied that the two of them would be fine for the time being, Dumbledore began his way to his office. His ears still rung from the Howler that he had received last September when Ginny had been sorted into Slytherin, and he knew he would need to mentally prepare himself for the outburst that was sure to come from a very irate Molly Weasley.

"NO DAUGHTER OF MINE WILL BE SLEEPING IN THE SAME BED AS ANY BOY UNTIL SHE'S MARRIED ALBUS!"

Dumbledore sighed, looking up into the red face of Molly Weasley as she unleashed her anger upon the hapless headmaster. He made a placating gesture which just served to make Molly's face go redder if even possible.

"You will break this bond!" she threatened.

"Mrs Weasley… if I may explain a what little there is about soul bonds?" Dumbledore stood up and conjured a chair for Molly, his expression showing a mixture of sternness and compassion. He couldn't begin to fathom what Molly Weasley was going through, knowing that her not even 12 year old daughter was now 'soul bound' to another, and in essence, as good as married.

Molly sat down in a huff, glaring at Dumbledore. "I will listen, but you will then break this bond!" Her husband, Arthur Weasley, took his wife's hand and began to rub his fingers over the back of it.

"Molly… let Professor Dumbledore explain please." Arthur nodded at Dumbledore.

"Thank you Arthur. Molly, it's entirely possible that yes, I can break the bond. It's relatively new, and I'm fairly certain that Harry and Ginny had fallen ill due to the lack of bond growth. But if I break this bond, it's entirely possible we could lose one, or both of them. It's also possible that while both of them may survive the bond breaking, they'll both be broken."

"What do you mean, broken?" Arthur asked.

"I'm not sure, Arthur. I do believe it might break their minds, or their spirits, or even their souls and leave them incapable of being able to function properly. While I'm sure you'd be more than glad to take care of Ginny if that were the case, Harry's relatives would not be quite so understanding." Dumbledore made a gesture with his wand, and his pensieve came floating out from one of the many cabinets surrounding the room. "I'm about to show you both something that's very important, and very dangerous knowledge to have. I must ask that you consider letting me obliviate you after this knowledge is granted. "

"You're asking us to trust you?!" Molly shouted. "You're the reason our daughter is now bound to Harry! Neither child deserves that!"

"Molly, while I completely accept your anger in the face of what has happened, I would hope that you would at least listen?"

Arthur looked from his wife to Dumbledore and back again. Molly was turning red faced, the desire to let loose at Dumbledore evident on her face. Arthur began to run the back of her hand again, attempting once more to calm her down. "Mollywobbles, it won't hurt to listen." Turning to Dumbledore, he nodded once at the Pensieve. "We can choose to not be obliviated, correct?"

Dumbledore frowned. "There is knowledge contained in this memory that is very dangerous, Arthur. I would not be comfortable should you have complete knowledge of what I'm about to show you. I will have to erase some parts of it. This information is vital as to why I cannot break this bond."

"Show us, then. But if I think your information is rubbish, you can bet you'll be breaking that bond, and you will not be obliviating us!" Molly glared balefully at Dumbledore. The older man nodded, and put his wand tip to his head. A gleaming silver strand of memory trailed out from his wand and fell into the pensieve. Dumbledore prodded it a few times before making a gesture at Arthur and Molly.

"After you." The two Weasleys bent down over the pensieve, and Dumbledore followed. "As you can see, this was many years ago. I was interviewing for a new divination professor, and I had arranged a meeting at the Three Broomsticks."

"That's Trelawney, isn't it?" Molly asked.

"Indeed. I must ask you to be quiet now, Molly, and to listen – both with your heart, and your head." The Weasleys and Dumbledore listened while Trelawney gave her prophecy. Soon, they found themselves back inside the headmaster's study, and Molly's face was pale.

"Harry's the boy, isn't he?"

"He is indeed."

Arthur shook his head. "I can't believe this… and we know he's not gone, especially after Ron and Harry's first year here."

"Exactly. I can't break that bond, Molly, because we need Harry. And I think this is the power that Voldemort knows not."

Molly sat down in the conjured chair, burying her face in her hands. "I…"

Arthur wrapped his arms around his wife and looked up at Dumbledore. "So, Ginny needs to remain in almost constant contact with Harry. How is this going to work if he is living with the muggles?"

At this, Dumbledore smiled slightly. "Due to Harry's extreme illness with his muggle relatives, the protections around his home have begun to waver, and I can no longer guarantee that it's the safest place for him. Thankfully, his status as being bonded with your daughter means they're as good as married, and I can recreate the same wards at the Burrow, if you will have him there. I will be placing these wards based on Ginny, which in turn protects Harry."

Molly and Arthur looked at each other. "Of course we'd welcome him there, he's done so much for us already. What about while they're at school, Albus? They're in different houses!"

"I will consult with the other headmasters and headmistresses. It may be that they will need to simply have their own room, and we will have to create several different types of illusions to help them remain anonymous. I don't want this information getting out, especially with Ginny being sorted into Slytherin. While I do believe that the children should have the opportunity to be children, and while I trust Severus implicitly, I have no desire to let Ginny fall into harm's way." Dumbledore stood and motioned to the door of his study. "That's decision making that can wait. No doubt you wish to see your daughter and her bonded."


	2. Awakenings

AN: I don't own Harry Potter or any of these characters. Thank you to Miz636 for the Beta!

* * *

_It's so nice to sleep without nightmares. It's been so long, I've forgotten what it's like._

_You can remember what it was like?_

_Can't you?_

_…__No…_

_Show me._

A flash of green light, a woman's screams. _Every night, it seems. Since I can remember._

_Oh I'm so sorry. I wish I could give you a hug._

_I don't like hugs._

_Everyone likes hugs!_

_I don't. They feel weird, like I'm being crushed._

_You just haven't been hugged properly._

_I guess. How come you were having nightmares?_

A black book. The sound of a quill, and a man's laughter. "It's all your fault, Ginevra."

_I'm sorry Ginny. I wish we had figured it out sooner._

_Now you sound like the family. It's ok Harry. I'm not having nightmares now._

* * *

"They look so content," Molly whispered. She looked up at her husband and Dumbledore, a small frown marring her face. In their sleep, the two children had cuddled closer together, their heads almost touching. It seemed almost like they were whispering to one another in their sleep.

Arthur wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close while Dumbledore examined the two children. "Something about this bond doesn't seem quite right." Waving his wand in a series of complicated patterns over the two children, he frowned as patterns and whirls formed above them. "They're definitely soul bound according to this, but it doesn't seem…" trailing off, Dumbledore poked his index finger amongst a vibrant swirl of green. "It's almost like the bond was forced."

"Wouldn't that make sense, Albus? If the bond formed when Harry saved Ginny, wouldn't that force it?" Arthur questioned.

"It would yes." Dumbledore gestured to the swirl. "But in the other two soul bonds I've seen, this is normally more of a red color, not a green color." Waving his wand, the patterns disappeared. He put the wand away and looked at the two Weasleys. "I know I've mentioned obliviations, and I think now is probably the best time to perform them."

Molly Weasley straightened, a tight look across her face. She was preparing to launch into one of her famous tirades when Arthur cut her off. "I may be sleeping on the couch for this, but we accept," he stated. Turning to his wife, he shook his head. "What Albus showed us is probably the most important thing in the world right now, and we know that You-Know-Who is still out there. We can best protect both of the children by willingly giving up this memory."

"I don't want to forget why we've agreed to this!" Molly stated, her eyes flashing. Turning to Dumbledore, she continued. "I don't object to the obliviation. I do understand that it's important to protect Harry's secret," she said. "However, I don't want to forget why we've agreed to any of this, Albus. I know I'm not the most easy person to get along with," a soft chuckle escaped from the headmaster, "but I also know that unless I have a good reason, I wouldn't allow this. I want to protect Harry and Ginny as much you all do, but you have to give us a good reason."

Frowning slightly, Dumbledore tapped his index finger against his chin. "What if the bond were a good enough reason? What if you thought that if it were broken, the children would die? Would that be a good enough reason?"

Molly turned back to the sleeping children. She reached out and ran her fingers through her daughter's shining curtain of hair and shook her head. "No. I think I'd probably give them a harder time about it, actually." A pained look crossed Molly's face.

"What about some vague sense that Harry's life is in danger, Albus?" Arthur moved to where his wife stood, and he wrapped his arms around her, proud of Molly admitting her shortcomings. Molly shook her head at this.

"No, because Harry would be staying with his relatives," Molly murmured, turning to Dumbledore. "What about if we keep the memory crouched in general terms? We keep the memory of a prophecy, but twist it to where we think it involves Ginny as well? Maybe add to the prophecy, even?"

"That might actually be the best bet, Molly." Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "You always were a very intelligent witch, and I still think you would've gone far had you not decided to have Bill straight out of Hogwarts."

Both Molly and Arthur blushed at this, knowing that Bill had been born a mere five months after they had left Hogwarts. Dumbledore smiled at them, his eyes twinkling. "And now, I think we all know what will happen next." He raised his wand, and the elder Weasleys closed their eyes, willingly surrendering part of their memory. "Obliviate."

* * *

Ginny Weasley felt warm and safe for the first time in almost a year. Since her sorting into the house of Serpents, she had felt cold, alone, and scared for the most part, except for the friend she thought she had made in Tom Riddle. But now, the cold was gone, replaced with a deep and abiding warmth, and instead of scared she felt safe. Registering these feelings, she stretched and yawned, opening her eyes.

"Ginny! You're awake!" Molly cried out, relief evident on her face.

"Mum!" Ginny disentangled herself from the blankets and the arms wrapped around her, and almost fell out of the bed getting to where Molly was getting up. Halfway to her mum, the edges of Ginny's vision began to darken. "Oh no…" she whispered, before her eyes rolled back into her head and she crumpled on the floor.

"Ginny!" Molly rushed to her daughter and picked her up, choking back her own sobs. Lifting Ginny gently, she placed the young girl back in bed next to Harry. "Rest well my darling," she murmured, placing a kiss on Ginny's forehead.

* * *

Harry Potter was unused to the feeling of being safe and warm. His closet under the stairs had always had a draft, and he learned a very young age to ignore the cold. The feeling of safety was one that was also foreign to him, having never really experienced feeling safe that he could remember.

It was then, with trepidation, he found himself hurtling towards consciousness thanks to a persistent ache in his lower body announcing the necessity to find a restroom and fairly quickly. Not even thinking about where he was, he grabbed for his glasses and stumbled towards the bathroom located closest to the bed he was laying on in the hospital wing. He managed to get five steps away from the bed when he collapsed, not even hearing the cry of "Harry!" from Molly Weasley.

Rather tenderly, Molly picked up the young man and noted that he barely weighed more than her daughter. She placed him in bed and rang for Madam Pomfrey, intent to have the matron check over her daughter and her bonded.

The sound of knitting needles echoed through the infirmary as Ginny found herself once again coming wake. Eyes fluttering open, she saw the red hair of her mother. "Mum?" she murmured, her voice scratchy.

"Ginny, honey, stay in bed." Molly stood up and moved over to the side of the bed, taking one of Ginny's hands in hers. "How are you feeling?" she asked, smoothing Ginny's hair away from her head.

"I'm still pretty tired," Ginny murmured. She laid her head against her mum, sighing. "But there weren't any nightmares." She could vaguely recollect chatting with someone inside her mind. It wouldn't have been the first time, especially since Tom.

Molly nodded and continued to stroke her daughter's hair. "I can imagine." She glanced over at Harry, who was still sleeping deeply. "Ginny, honey, you need to stay in bed until Harry wakes up."

"OK, mum." Molly frowned slightly at her daughter's casual acceptance of Harry sleeping next to her, but didn't think to question it. Perhaps that was a side effect of this soul bond. Reaching for her wand, Molly quickly sent some sparks into the rest of the infirmary to signal to Madam Pomfrey that one of the children were awake. A few moments later, the nurse bustled in.

"Hello Miss Weasley. Do you mind if I run a few tests?" Ginny nodded listlessly, still leaning against Molly. Molly frowned again, deeper this time. According to what Dumbledore had said, being next to Harry should be helping her daughter get better and it didn't seem to be having that effect as of yet.

Madam Pomfrey made a few gestures with her wand, and the tip of it lit up as she ran her scans over Ginny. At certain points the tip of her wand would glow a different colour, and she would cluck her tongue disapprovingly. Molly held her tongue for as long as she could, but she saw the tip of Madam Pomfrey's wand go black while hovering over Ginny's chest. "Poppy?"

"She's exhausted and dehydrated, and she's starting to get an infection in her chest," The matron murmured, her wand still moving. "Those are easily taken care of. Her magical core seems to be almost depleted, and it will take a lot of rest and no magic to help it regenerate." Madam Pomfrey ran the wand up and above Ginny's head, where the light shined a brilliant white. "I can see the bond, and it's slowly stabilizing… according to what the Headmaster told me, it should've mostly stabilized by now." Madam Pomfrey frowned. "It might be to do with the fact that it took us all this long to realize that a bond had been created."

Molly nodded. "A round of potions then, I'm assuming?"

Madam Pomfrey smiled slightly. "You've always known your potions. If you hadn't fallen pregnant with Bill at such a young age, you would've made a marvelous healer," the matron replied. "Send me a signal if Mr. Potter wakes up. I'll go and get the potions." She bustled off into the back of the infirmary.

"Ginny, do you think you can get Harry to wake up?" Molly asked softly.

"Maybe." She murmured. Carefully, the younger Weasley nudged the sleeping form of Harry with her foot. Harry made a noise that sounded suspiciously like 'go away' and turned over, away from Ginny's nudge.

"Ginny, you need to touch Harry," Molly instructed. She placed Ginny's hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Harry needs to wake up then." Ginny grumbled. She pushed at her bedmate with her fingers, attempting to rouse him. "Wake up!"

"Don' wanna." Harry muttered, his eyes finally fluttering. "Best sleep ever."

"You're only saying that because you're not having nightmares for a change." Ginny replied, nudging Harry again. "Mum wants you awake."

Slowly, Harry came to life. His brilliant green eyes opened fully and focused on the two women who were watching him steadily. Blinking, Harry reached for his glasses and put them on. "Hi Mrs. Weasley," he muttered, sitting up.

Subconsciously, the two children kept their contact.

"Hello, Harry. I just need to let Madam Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore know that you two are awake." Molly waved her wand, and another set of sparkles flew from the tip. Then, whispering, she cast a silvery lioness who raced out of the infirmary towards Professor Dumbledore's office. She turned back to the children who were staring at each other intently. Finally, Ginny huffed and turned away from Harry.

"Something wrong, dear?" Molly asked.

"Not really. Harry was trying to figure out why we're in here, and then he started apologizing like it was his fault." Ginny turned back to Harry, her eyebrows furrowing. "You can talk out loud, you know. Mum's not going to care." She turned back to Molly. "Right, mum?"

"Of course Harry dear. It'll be easier if we all speak out loud, and hopefully Professor Dumbledore will come and speak to us momentarily about what is happening."

"OK." Harry shifted on the bed, then he looked over at Mrs. Weasley nervously. "Mrs. Weasley?"

"Yes, dear?"

"When I woke up before, I really had to use the loo, but now I don't. I didn't…" Harry trailed off, his face going pale. Ginny broke out in a peal of laughter.

"Harry are you afraid you wet the bed?" Ginny continued to laugh, her eyes showing a bit of her old sparkle.

"It's not funny Ginny!"

"Harry, you didn't wet the bed. After you passed out, I called for Madam Pomfrey and she came in and used a few spells on both of you for comfort." Molly reached over and patted Harry's hand. "It's a good question to ask however."

"Thanks Mrs. Weasley." Harry ducked his head, clearly embarrassed by the exchange. Ginny continued to laugh, ignoring the glare from her mother.

"It's good to hear laughter," Professor Dumbledore said, walking into the infirmary on the heels of Madam Pomfrey. "And it's even better to see you two awake. How are you feeling?" he asked, conjuring himself a chair and sitting down.

"Better, thank you, Professor," Ginny murmured, the appearance of the headmaster sobering her mirth.

"What she said, Professor," Harry echoed.

"I'm glad to hear it. I wanted to have a chat with the two of you, and see if we could figure out what was happening. But first, Mr. Potter, I think Madam Pomfrey would like to check you over."

Harry nodded, and Madam Pomfrey ran the same wand patterns over Harry that she had on Ginny. "Exhaustion, dehydration, and a drained magical core," she stated, her eyes watching the wand light. "Everything is exactly the same, with the exception that Mr. Potter doesn't have the beginnings of a chest infection." She extinguished the spell and reached into her apron pockets. Pulling out three vials, she placed them in front of Ginny. "You'll need to drink all three of these, Miss Weasley. This will help with the infection." She tapped her wand against one of the potions, and it turned from a clear colour to a bright blue.

Ginny grimaced and reached for the different potions, quickly holding her nose and downing them. Harry made a face at each potion, his eyes watering when Ginny finished the last one. "Those are awful!" he exclaimed, shuddering.

"You tasted those potions as Miss Weasley drank them down?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes alight. "How fascinating."

"It's not fascinating, it's weird." Ginny muttered, glaring darkly at Harry. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at Ginny's reaction.

"I can imagine. Now that Madam Pomfrey has looked you both over, I'd like to have a chat." The headmaster leaned forward and stared full on at both of the children, his eyes twinkling. "Have either of you heard of a soul bond before?" he asked.

Harry shook his head but Ginny nodded. "I've heard of them in stories before, Professor. All the girls used to talk about stories like that, and in the common room I'd hear some of the girls mention soul bonds in reference to some of their favourite books." A ghost of a smile graced Molly's face as she thought about those very same books she had charmed to hide from the boys in her household.

"Indeed, Miss Weasley, I have heard that same thing." Dumbledore leaned back. "Please indulge me for a moment then while I explain what a soul bond is for Mr. Potter's benefit." Ginny nodded.

"Harry, a soul bond is exactly what it sounds like - a bond between two souls. This bond can often times be created by magic or by saving someone's life. I believe the latter is what has happened in this case."

"Sir?" Harry asked, confusion evident on his face.

"When you saved Miss Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets, I believe that it formed a bond between you and her, a soul bond. That is what finds the two of you currently occupying the same bed in the hospital wing. At the beginning of a bond, it is often times necessary for the two new bonders to touch almost constantly." Dumbledore sighed softly. "I'm afraid that when you saved Miss Weasley, I was unaware that the bond had formed and this is what has led to the two of you to be in the hospital wing today. I believe the bond was unable to feed on itself between the two of you, and had to resort to feeding on your magic instead. I also believe that this will cause the bond to be stronger in the end, but it will take a lot longer to stabilize."

"What does this mean then, Professor?" Harry asked.

"It means that you and Miss Weasley have managed to bind your souls, Mr. Potter. It also means that until that bond has stabilized, the two of you will need to be touching constantly."

"ALL the time?" Ginny gasped. "What about showers and if we have to use the loo?"

"We're going to work on that to give you some independence. Unfortunately, through all the bondings I've studied, the bonded pair have to spend the rest of their lives maintaining close contact."

"The rest of our lives?" Harry looked from Dumbledore to Ginny, then back to Dumbledore. Ginny had gone pale, then red. She shot a look at Harry full of venom.

" I HATE YOU!" She screamed, before wrenching herself out of her mother's arms. She started to run towards the doors to the infirmary.

Dumbledore reached into his robes for his wand, and cast a cushioning charm on the floor around Ginny. The soft 'thud!" of Ginny's body falling accompanied Harry's strangled "I'm sorry!" as he too lost consciousness. Dumbledore looked at Molly Weasley and sighed.

"This could get interesting."


	3. Information

AN: I don't own Harry Potter. Thank you to Miz636 for the Beta! :)

* * *

_I'm sorry Harry._

_You shouldn't have said it._

_I know._

* * *

Ginny's eyes fluttered open as she reached consciousness for the second time that day. Groggily, she sat up and stretched, feeling her pyjamas stick where she lay next to Harry. Leaning down, she tugged on them gently, watching in fascination as they remained attached.

"It's a sticking charm, dear." Molly's voice broke the silence. She sat near the bed where Harry and Ginny were sleeping, dark circles under her eyes. Knitting needles clacked next to her as she sat, the beginnings of a Christmas jumper in a dark blue beginning to take shape.

"A sticking charm?" Ginny asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Yes." Molly stood up and sat on the bed next to Ginny, taking her daughter's pale hand in her own. "It's not fair, before you even start, but it was my idea, and that's because we need you and Harry to remain conscious. You showed us that you're not thinking rationally when you ran away and told Harry that you hated him."

"I've apologized to him for that!" Ginny flared, pulling her hand away from her mother. "You're right, it's not fair! I'm not even twelve years old yet, mum, and now I'm stuck with a boy for the rest of my life! Not to mention how hard it's going to be to take a shower, or go to the loo, or…" The young girl trailed off, her eyes going unfocused for a moment. "Harry just said that it'd be pretty bad, too, when we wanted to start dating!"

Molly nodded, listening to her daughter's tirade. When Ginny's rant finished, Molly smiled slightly. "You're right. It's not fair, and I agree. But we can't discuss what needs to happen with you and Harry if you're going to run off again. The charm is only temporary, and as soon as Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall arrive, we will be discussing the situation."

Ginny glared at Molly and crossed her arms across her chest. "Fine."

"Ginevra Molly, don't take that tone with me. No one here is to blame for this situation, not you, not Harry, not anyone. No one expected it to happen, and if you're going to take this out on everyone around you, you WILL be doing all the chores around the Burrow for the rest of the summer, including your brothers'!" Molly's voice had begun to raise, and it was the soft chuckle of Professor Dumbledore that brought both Molly and Ginny's stand off to a close.

"Hello, Molly, Miss Weasley." The professor conjured himself a chair and sat down in it, his piercing gaze on the two redheaded women. "I can see you were having a lively discussion about the bond. Miss Weasley, could you please ask Mr Potter to wake up for us?"

Ginny nodded, her face sullen. Her eyes unfocused again, and a few moments later, Harry's eyes were fluttering.

"Ahh, good. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall will be here shortly, and then we can begin. Although, I'm certain Madam Pomfrey would like to check over the children again before we start." Standing up, Professor Dumbledore moved into another part of the hospital wing, and his whispered voice could just barely be heard as he advised Madam Pomfrey that the children were awake.

"Hello Harry dear. Did you rest ok?" Molly asked, patting Harry's hand.

"It was all right, Mrs Weasley, thank you," Harry murmured, sitting up. He groped for his glasses and put them on, blinking at the clarified sight.

"Harry, dear, as you're now apart of the family, please call me Molly."

"Sure Mrs... I mean, Molly." Harry smiled shyly.

"Hello, Mr Potter. It's good to see you awake." Dumbledore returned, followed closely by Madam Pomfrey. The matron bustled over to Harry and Ginny, quickly running her wand along them and muttering under her breath. Lights flashed and twisted.

"Well. Their cores aren't gaining as much strength as I would like to see. Normally by now, they would have begun to restore themselves to the point to where they'd be able to consider doing small spells, but it's just barely bigger than it was when they were first brought in." Madam Pomfrey set down several bottles of various coloured potions before Harry and Ginny and motioned with her hand. "Drink up! These will assist you in rebuilding your cores."

Harry looked at Ginny, and she nodded. In tandem, they picked up the green coloured potion and downed it, grimacing at the taste. They continued like this until the potions were gone, and Madame Pomfrey bustled off with the empty vials. She returned a few moments later and settled herself down, ready for the conference between the two children and the adults.

It wasn't too long before Professors McGonagall and Snape walked into the infirmary, both of them discussing something in low, hushed voices. They turned to the small gathering around Harry and Ginny's bed. Professor Dumbledore smiled brightly. "Ah, good, we're all here." Taking out his wand, he drew a complicated pattern in the air, and a series of lights shimmered over Harry and Ginny. Professor McGonagall gasped, her hand flying over her mouth.

"Albus! There hasn't been a registered soul bonding in hundreds of years!" Dumbledore nodded at her words.

"Indeed, and that is why I've called you both here. It seems to me that when Harry rescued Ginny down in the chamber of secrets, they formed a soul bond. I believe that because we were unaware of the bonding, we let Harry and Ginny return to their residences for the summer. However, as the bond was unable to stabilize properly, it began to feed off of their magic, and both of them have fallen quite ill because of it."

Professor Snape's perpetual sneer formed into a deep frown. "The bond is feeding off their magical cores?"

"It was, yes. It seems that when these bonds form, they begin to stabilize when the bonded pair remain in constant contact. All my research has backed me up on this."

"Will the bond be stabilized before the beginning of the school year?" Professor McGonagall asked, her eyes still tracing the different lines that shimmered over Harry and Ginny.

"That's why we've called everyone in here, Minerva." Professor Dumbledore looked at both the heads of houses, his eyes dulling for a moment. "We have a most interesting situation. If Harry and Ginny are unable to continue their physical contact, the bond will resort into feeding off their cores, potentially killing them. Because of the delay in the forming of the bond, I do believe that they will not be finished bonding before the beginning of the school year." He turned to Molly and offered her a small smile before turning back to his rather stunned staff. "I therefore have a two-fold proposal. First, that Miss Weasley be allowed to study for the remainder of the summer and take her second year exams prior to the beginning of the school year. Secondly, that Harry and Ginny will then be sharing a room here at Hogwarts."

The knitting needles once again provided the only sound in the room as the silence descended.

_Sharing a room with you? How would that work?! I'm a Slytherin, you're in Gryffindor… they can't put us in the same dorm room. The Slytherin boys would eat you alive, Harry._

_I wouldn't put it past them. Maybe they'll re-sort you? I mean, if you were already affected by Tom Riddle at the time of the sorting, that's what made you go into Slytherin instead of Gryffindor?_

_Mum's already talked to Dumbledore, and they discussed it with the hat at the beginning of the summer. The sorting is final, and I'm stuck in Slytherin. There's nothing we can do._

_That's not fair, _Harry thought, and Ginny nodded her head in agreement.

"Albus… that's preposterous. Not only are Mr Potter and Miss Weasley both of opposite genders, but they're in different houses! Molly, certainly you wouldn't agree to this?" Professor McGonagall stated, looking at the Weasley Matriarch.

Professor Snape nodded in agreement. "Minerva's right. There simply has to be another way."

Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "There isn't. I've run the tests, and their cores haven't been replenishing themselves. As it stands, Mr Potter and Miss Weasley are the magical equivalent of squibs."

Molly sighed. "Minerva, I don't have much of a choice. Albus has sat and had a long chat with both Arthur and I. We love Harry like a son, and now that he's saved Ginny's life… there's nothing I wouldn't do for him. He'll be staying with us during the summers and school holidays. We've already talked to the boys about this, and we've begun expanding Ginny's room at the Burrow to account for Harry and his belongings."

Dumbledore nodded at Molly. "Unfortunately, she's right. I've done a fair bit of late night reading recently into the realm of soulbonds, and all of them state that the bondees were forced to remain in regular physical contact for the remainder of their lives. As it stands presently, neither Harry nor Ginny can remain away from one another for any period of time before they both black out."

"What about us!" Ginny suddenly cried out, her face having gone red. "I don't want to share a room with Harry! I don't want to touch him all the time! Professor, please, please, please, can't you remove this bond? You're the strongest wizard in the world!"

Harry, however, just nodded in agreement. "Ginny's absolutely mortified by the thought of having me around her all the time. Please, if you can break it, please break this bond."

Professor Dumbledore sighed and shook his head at the two youngest in the room. "I'm sorry, I can't break this bond." He placed one of his aged hands over Ginny's, who began to cry.

"There has to be something you can do! Please, Professor, I don't know if either of us can live like this." Harry's brilliant emerald eyes held a haunted, stricken look as he gave voice to Ginny's thoughts.

Molly Weasley put her hand on her daughter's head, brushing her hair back from her face. "Ginny, honey, I thought you liked Harry?"

"She does Mrs Weasley, but that's part of the problem." Harry turned bright red. "She…" Harry was cut off as one of Ginny's hands covered his mouth. The two of them glared at each other for a second.

"Don't – tell – them!" she hissed.

"Mrmph!" Harry glared at Ginny.

_Let me talk, Ginny!_

_No, I don't want them to know how much I like like you!_

_Well I already know, why can't they?_

_Because it's embarrassing!_

_And thinking I almost wet the bed wasn't? Let go! _ Harry flashed a memory at Ginny of his Uncle Vernon doing the very same thing to him that she just was, and she pulled away, her face going bright red. "I'm sorry, Harry…" she whispered. She dropped her hand away from his mouth.

"Ginny really likes me, and it's more of a like like than a friend like, and she's embarrassed because now she can never get away from me!" Harry blurted quickly.

Professor Dumbledore chuckled. "Miss Weasley, it's ok to "like like" Harry. There's nothing to be worried about." Professor Dumbledore smiled.

"Albus, what happens when the kids grow older?" Professor McGonagall asked, frowning.

"We'll have to deal with it as it comes. Indeed, I think the most important things that we need to worry about at the moment are ensuring that Harry and Ginny are able to function separately from each other long enough to attend to themselves." Professor Dumbledore looked at the two and sighed.

"Molly has been taught some spells that will assist the two of you in your bodily functions, along with keeping you clean. Until you're able to be separated from one another long enough to perform these functions by yourselves, we'll have to utilize them appropriately. Please don't be embarrassed by the necessity of these spells, or by Molly having to perform them. The next few weeks will be tough for all of you, I'm sure. Mr Potter, we'll need you to assist Miss Weasley in her studies in order for her to join you in your classes in September, and between study times, we'll be working on the amount of time you two can be physically separated."

"And when the school year commences?" Professor Snape asked.

"Mr Potter and Miss Weasley will be given a joint room. Provided they are able to remain separated for a decent amount of time, Miss Weasley will retire to her room every night and activate a small portkey that will only work within Hogwarts to take her to the room. Mr Potter will do the same. This is an added layer of protection that will help further down the line." Professor Dumbledore turned to Professor Snape and nodded. "You will need to "check" on Miss Weasley nightly, Severus, and place a ward around her bed, along with a few illusionary spells that make it seem like she is in her bed all night. Minerva, I will need you to do the same with Mr Potter. There are eyes everywhere, and I don't wish for this to be spread around."

"Professor Dumbledore, what about Hermoine?" Harry questioned.

"Of course, you may tell Miss Granger, and Mr Weasley will already know the circumstances. I would advise that you and Miss Weasley 'accidentally' sit next to one another in your classes to ensure that your secret is mostly safe.

"Professor, you keep saying this is nothing to be embarrassed about. Why are we being secretive then?" Ginny asked softly.

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed a bit. "As you undoubtedly know, there are still many out there who support Voldemort, and he has not yet been fully defeated. I am afraid, Miss Weasley, that if your soul bond became common knowledge, those who still support him will attempt to do you harm. This is to help protect both you and Mr Potter."

Professor Dumbledore stood up and vanished his chair, looking at the various adults around the room and the young children still stuck together in the hospital bed. "As for the rest, we'll have to see how it plays out. Now, Mr Potter and Miss Weasley, you will need to get some rest."

Molly Weasley sighed and patted both Harry and Ginny on the head before standing up herself. "All right, it's time to work on separation. _Finite Incantatum!_" Molly waved her wand and the sticking charm holding Ginny and Harry together disappeared. "Now, move away from each other, and I'll time you."

Ginny scooted away from Harry, and Molly began to count softly. When she hit the count of 20, however, both children's eyes rolled back into their heads, and they slumped down, passed out. She gently placed Ginny's hand in Harry's and smiled sadly. "Twenty seconds… it's a start!"


End file.
